Launched by Preston Clarke and Stephen Norman-Scott in August 2015, Notasium, an instrument-themed play space, music school and coffee shop mash-up was an idea of Preston’s that had been brewing for a while. An indie singer, songwriter and musician who spent his early career playing in Los Angeles and New York City, Preston and his family relocated to Durham, where he was hired as the lead instructor of the Rock ‘n Roll High School in Apex.
“Trying to get the younger kids in there was really tough,” Preston says of the school. So he sought to create something targeting that demographic, getting “to kids in a musical way before they’re ready for lessons.” Most kids 5 and younger don’t have the focus for classical instruction yet, “but they have the attention span to play with something,” he says.
He chatted with pal Stephen – an artist turned entrepreneur who founded web development and marketing firm CSupport Services – who was looking for something new in his work life, too. In just a few short months, the Notasium concept – a musical wonderland meant for children of all ages and their parents, too – was ready for a Kickstarter campaign.
Six months after raising $43,635 on Kickstarter (thanks in part to support from local moms’ groups), and with the help of a few key investors, Notasium was open for business at 3750 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., combining three different revenue streams: Older kids visit for a lesson while parents grab a cup of Bean Traders coffee and younger children explore the play space, where they discover a wall mapping out different sounds around the world and an organ built to teach scales (all constructed for Notasium specifically, mostly by friends, family, and Preston and Stephen themselves). Kids of every age can rock out on stage, sing in the soundproof karaoke booths, jump on the bounce-house drum or race down the guitar slide.
When asked why they chose a for-profit model over a nonprofit one, Preston and Stephen have a few reasons: less red tape, a chance to open quickly and the option to expand, which the team looks to do in the near future.
“We want to bring this musical experience to as many people as possible,” Preston says.
